Climate change doubles the size of western forest fires, and bound to get worse

The study revealed that the dryness and aridity causes these massive blazes.

By Clint Huston |
Nov 03, 2016

The west half of the United States has been experiencing bigger, hotter and faster-burning wildfires. It has in fact doubled in the past 30 years. This is because of the climate change brought about by human beings.

A study released on Monday by researchers from the University of Columbia and Idaho in New York showed that climate change had brought a rise in temperature responsible for increased fire activity that has burned up an extra 16,000 miles.

"A lot of people are throwing around the words climate change and fire- specifically, last year fire chiefs and the governor of California started calling this the 'new normal,'" said John Abatzoglou, a professor of geography at the University of Idaho. He also said that the study is going to reckon what firefighters, public officials, and scientists have been saying for a long time.

"No matter how we try the fires are going to keep getting bigger, and the reason is clear," Said Park Williams, a bioclimatologist at Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. "Climate change is running the show regarding what burns. We should be getting ready for bigger fire years than those familiar to previous generations," he added.

The study revealed that the dryness and aridity cause these massive blazes. Aridity has increased by 55% and is directly caused by climate change that is influenced by human beings. The role of climate change in the increased fuel aridity has grown since 200, and it will only continue to get worse, experts said.

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